My friend had a whole bathroom re-fit by a contractor that was had a property maintenance company ie. not a dedicated bathroom fitter. He priced up the job, made a few visits but the bulk of the work was done by his two employees.
They stripped the bathroom back to the brickwork, replastered, fitted sanitary ware and tiled. The shower unit was fitted to the hall adjacent wall with a false (stud) wall to house the pipework etc.
A month later he found water dripping in his kitchen and reported it to the contractor. He duly turned up and agreed there was a leak, had fiddle around and said he could not identify where it had come from but seemed to be OK now.
It is my belief that he stuck his hand in the stud cavity and homed one of the plastic pipes into it's compression and thought that it was cured.
The leak has since returned and the contractor has turned a deaf ear and doesn't answer the phone now.
What is the legal position for my friend. I suggested he gets a bona-fide plumber to put everything right, but. Ultimately it will cost the repair, re-tile, and possibly new floor as well.
Can a small claims court deal with such cases or is there another answer.
I know you will say he should of had a pukka plumber/fitter in the first place but saw the opportunity to save a few bob and it now lumbered. What advice can you give please.
They stripped the bathroom back to the brickwork, replastered, fitted sanitary ware and tiled. The shower unit was fitted to the hall adjacent wall with a false (stud) wall to house the pipework etc.
A month later he found water dripping in his kitchen and reported it to the contractor. He duly turned up and agreed there was a leak, had fiddle around and said he could not identify where it had come from but seemed to be OK now.
It is my belief that he stuck his hand in the stud cavity and homed one of the plastic pipes into it's compression and thought that it was cured.
The leak has since returned and the contractor has turned a deaf ear and doesn't answer the phone now.
What is the legal position for my friend. I suggested he gets a bona-fide plumber to put everything right, but. Ultimately it will cost the repair, re-tile, and possibly new floor as well.
Can a small claims court deal with such cases or is there another answer.
I know you will say he should of had a pukka plumber/fitter in the first place but saw the opportunity to save a few bob and it now lumbered. What advice can you give please.